Becoming an established MRO provider
It all began back in 1933 with the founding of Turkish Airlines, when aircraft maintenance was carried out in house. As the country’s flag-carrying airline expanded, so did its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities, as well as its technical scope and capabilities. Then, in 2006, Turkish Airlines decided to hive off its maintenance facilities, enabling it to become a wholly independent MRO provider under the name Turkish Technic. This has allowed the company to establish itself as a leading MRO provider not just to Turkish Airlines, but to also establish a global customer base, to the point where it has evolved into a recognized brand, helping to strengthen Türkiye’s position in the global aviation sphere.
Facilities and infrastructure
Turkish Technic operates from large bases located in Istanbul Atatürk Airport, Istanbul Airport, and Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Its hangars and workshops are equipped to handle both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft, including the Airbus A320, A330, A350 families, Boeing 737, 777, 787 families, as well as regional jets and business jets. The company continuously invests in digital transformation, component repair shops, and advanced diagnostic tools, and has partnered with multiple global technology and aerospace companies to enhance its capabilities. Positioning Istanbul as a global MRO hub has helped to give Turkish Technic a geographic advantage as it lies at the crossroads between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
A comprehensive suite of MRO services offered by Turkish Technic
- Line Maintenance
Routine checks and troubleshooting performed at airports across Türkiye and at international outstations.
- Base Maintenance
Heavy checks (C and D checks), cabin reconfigurations, modifications, and structural repairs.
- Component Maintenance
Repair and overhaul of avionics, hydraulics, pneumatics, and mechanical components with extensive in-house capabilities.
- Engine Services
Although large-scale engine overhauls are limited, Turkish Technic conducts on-wing services, quick turn operations, and certain levels of engine shop visits.
- Cabin and Interior Services
Refurbishment, reconfiguration, and retrofitting of aircraft interiors, enhancing passenger experience.
- Engineering and Technical Training
Turkish Technic is approved to provide Part-147 training, ensuring a pipeline of licensed engineers and technicians.
Overview
From its modest beginnings as a technical department of Turkish Airlines to becoming a world-class MRO provider, Turkish Technic’s journey reflects Türkiye’s ambitions in global aviation. With its modern facilities, expanding services, and strong international reputation, the company continues to be a cornerstone of aircraft maintenance in the region and beyond.
Interview
We are fortunate to have had the opportunity of talking to Turkish Technic to enable us to learn a little more about the company and its success.
AviTrader: Turkish Technic has a long history. Can you tell us a bit about the latest developments at Turkish Technic?
Recently, we have taken big steps towards expanding our maintenance capacity, with the highlight being the new engine maintenance facility at Istanbul Airport. This facility is targeted to be operational by the end of 2027 and will be able to service large civil aero engines (Trent XWB-97, XWB-84, Trent 7000). The plan is for ~200 engine shop visits per year, serving both Turkish Airlines’ fleet and third-party Rolls-Royce customers. We are also strengthening our position as a leading MRO company with new agreements. We have signed several new agreements including ones with our long-standing partners such as one of Türkiye’s low-cost carriers Pegasus Airlines along with Transavia, as well as new ones, such as Poland’s flag carrier LOT Polish Airlines.
How important is it for Turkish Technic to be a part of Turkish Airlines?
As a wholly owned subsidiary of Turkish Airlines, Turkish Technic proudly cares for the entire fleet that flies to more countries than any other carrier in the world. This means whenever Turkish Airlines expands its fleet, we are expanding our capabilities and capacity to provide the highest-quality services. With our large team and extensive capabilities, we are not only providing comprehensive maintenance services for our parent company, but also to our large list of customers worldwide.
What are the advantages for your customers when using Turkish Technic?
We offer a wide range of maintenance, repair, overhaul, engineering, modifications, component supply, landing gear overhaul, base maintenance, and line maintenance services, and we are constantly expanding our capabilities. We provide services that are tailored to the needs of our customers. We have hangars equipped with cutting-edge technology, which enables us to provide maintenance services for most types of aircraft, and we are expanding our maintenance capacity every year with new facilities, hangars, workshops, and warehouses all around the world. Our location, Istanbul, provides us with a geographical advantage as it is located in the centre of the world, with 53 countries within a five-hour flight distance. With our almost a century of experience and strategic location, we ensure competitive turnaround times for our customers, no matter where they are in the world.
Can you share with us your vision for the years to come?
Our vision is to expand our capabilities and capacity, equip ourselves with the latest technology available to advance our services in order to become one of the top-three maintenance centres globally. In order to achieve this goal, we are strengthening our collaborations by adding new customers and partners to our global network.
